He was quiet tonight. No wild stories, no reckless grins. Just that distant look in his blue eyes as he absently tossed a rock between his hands.

And then, out of nowhere, he said it.

“What if I break your heart?”

You barely even hesitated. “Nobody breaks my heart.”

JJ let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head as he flicked his lighter open and shut. “Yeah, sure,”

Months Later

It started slowly. Late-night texts left on read. Plans that he suddenly had to cancel. The warmth in his voice fading, replaced with something distant, something cold

JJ Maybank was slipping through your fingers, and you didn’t know how to stop it.

At first, you told yourself you were imagining it. He was just distracted. Things were crazy with the Pogues, with his dad, with everything. But deep down, you knew.

One night, after hours of unanswered calls, you finally found him at the dock, leaning against his dirt bike, a cigarette burning between his fingers.

“JJ,” you breathed, your voice barely above a whisper. “What’s going on with you?”

His jaw tensed as he exhaled a slow breath. “Don’t do this,” he muttered.

“Don’t do what?” Your heart pounded against your ribs. “Ask why you’ve been pushing me away?”

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Maybe I just don’t wanna do this anymore.”

The words hit you like a gut punch. You took a shaky step back. “You don’t mean that.”

JJ finally met your eyes, and for the first time in months, he looked completely sober. Completely serious.

“Yeah,” he murmured. “I do.”

Silence stretched between you, thick and suffocating. The JJ you knew—the one who pulled you into the ocean at midnight, who kissed you—was gone.

And in his place was a boy who had just shattered you with a few careless words.

Your breath hitched, but you forced yourself to nod. Forced yourself to pretend like it didn’t hurt. “Okay,” you whispered.

You turned before he could see the tears in your eyes.

And just like that, he proved you wrong.

Nobody breaks my heart.

Until JJ Maybank did.